| |
We knocked briefly and entered the house, making our way back to the parlor. Davis and Sarah were seated at the small table, and looked up anxiously as we returned. She had finished crying, but her eyes and nose were red and she looked miserable. I had a strange hope that we could make things better for her. It was somewhat unsettling, as I had never allowed extraneous considerations to impact my planning before; Gordon must be having an influence on me.
“We’ve come up with a plan which I think- I hope- will benefit all of us. This is the best I can come up with and I’ve no time to try something else- you will accept it or you will not, but we must decide at once. If you agree, you will be transported to Frederick where you will be left to your own devices. If you decide to report us to the Federal authorities, you will be implicated in the kidnapping of Mr. Casey here, and your story will be discredited.” I stated this as a fact- the reality was, it was more of a prayer; in any event, they both stared at me in shock. “You leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone- we have no interest in drawing attention to ourselves, after all. You will be safe, and that was the price for your aid, if I recall correctly.”
Davis nodded once in assent. “You do, Sir. Just to clarify- you’re going to get us to Frederick, and then you’ll be on your way and we’ll be free to go wherever we want and do whatever we want? The only restriction is that we can’t discuss you and your colleague?” I didn’t like the way he phrased that, but really he was right- I didn’t care what he did, as long as he left Gordon and I out of it. I dipped my chin in agreement. “Very well then, we don’t have much choice but to accept.”
Sarah, predictably, chimed in with her protest. “You accept? Forgive me Father, but you haven’t even heard what they’ll ask of us in return! What’s their plan?” She turned to face me. “How do we know they don’t have some hideous task we must perform for their help?” I couldn’t help it, and burst out laughing, provoking even further outrage- she even stamped her foot. “How dare you laugh at me?! What is so amusing to you?”
I put up my hand to forestall further outbursts. “Forgive me, Miss, but you are correct. In fact, I’ve an absolutely vile fate planned for you-” Gordon snorted behind me- “You’re going to be Gordon’s wife.”
She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it, then opened it again. Simultaneously, she blushed scarlet from her hairline down to the neckline of her gown. “Why- why- that’s unspeakable! I barely know the man- how could you think I’d marry him? Not even if my life depended upon it would I-”
I cut her off. “You’re only going to be posing as his wife long enough to pass any patrols, then you can go back to hating him.”
She snapped back, “I never said I hated him.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and behind me Gordon coughed. Whether it was shock, or a warning to one of us, I couldn’t be sure. “Well, at any rate, I mean...” She trailed off, nervously. I turned my head slightly to observe Gordon, who was also looking nervous. Oh for God’s sake, I thought, him too? They just met, how could they be having this reaction to one another? Never mind- focus on the mission, get them to Frederick, and we’ll be rid of them for good.
“So we’re in agreement then. Mr. Davis, you will take the carriage with Sarah and Gordon and such belongings as may fit. If you are questioned, you will state that your daughter and her husband are taking you to stay with your son in Maryland. Casey and I will take the horses and ride ahead, meeting you in Frederick. We’ll drop you off, Casey will return to Harpers Ferry, and you’ll be free to start a new life. I regret very much that you’ll have to leave your house, we’ll try to make arrangements for the property but I can offer no guarantee. If there are no questions, or,” I looked at Sarah, “further objections, we’ll get started.”
Davis surprised us all by laughing. “If anyone objects to this, let him speak now or forever hold his peace. Been waiting to say that for Sarah quite a while now.” We all laughed, except Sarah. She, predictably, looked furious. Gordon, seeing her discomfort, went over and took her hand in his; it looked small and delicate in his rough hand.
“Steady on now, gents. I’ll not have you insulting my wife with such rude behavior,” he said in mock reproof. Sarah protested against his claims, but I noticed she didn’t remove her hand. Interesting.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, Gordon assisted Sarah with the packing, although she threw him out when he tried to assist with packing her belongings. She seemed to take great delight in ordering him about, telling him how and what to pack, debating with him whether they should take the pots and pans or china (china was his vote- he won) and the curtains or linens (he voted curtains and lost). Eventually, he grew tired of the discussion and took Casey back to town to hire a bigger wagon. “If we were really moving the old man, he’d be moving all of his belongings,” was his justification. I disagreed, pointing out that he’d probably have only his clothes and a few mementoes. Sarah sided with her new husband, which pleased him and irritated me, which pleased them both.
Meanwhile, Davis and I sat together drafting the letters of introduction and commissions for Gordon and I. This was the most difficult part, for if he erred in his writing or otherwise marred the paper, we only had a limited supply to work from. I needn’t have worried, however, as the old man’s writing was faultless. Soon he had produced the necessary documents and applied the seals to them. As we waited for Gordon and Casey to return, and watched Sarah pack- which occasionally involved me- Davis shared some of the bits of his life. He had settled in the area as a young man, taking a wife and running a small farm. Gradually they prospered and he bought a share in a mill, eventually taking over the mill. His wife had died five years earlier of pneumonia, and all he had now were Sarah and her brother, Levi; Levi had started off in the mill, but eventually moved on to the railroad as a skilled mechanic, and there was talk of him opening his own shop in town. Davis was proud of his son’s accomplishments and I could see the bitterness as he talked about the changes secession had wrought. First, Casey fired him from his job at the railroad when he refused to volunteer for service. After that came the threats and ultimatums, resulting in him fleeing to Maryland. He hadn’t heard from Levi for several weeks and wasn’t certain how to go about doing so.
“Get word out in Frederick, look for mechanics, engines, anything where he would get work. Leave word that you’re in town, he’ll find you.” I assured him.
“I hope you’re right.” He sighed. “It’ll be sad to leave this house. We’ve been in it for quite a while, got a lot of memories. Moved here after the mill took off and we finally had money, thought I’d be buried here, with Sarah’s mother.” He took a sad look around. “I don’t reckon I’ll see it again.”
“You might,” I offered. “No one knows the future. Things may calm down and return to normal and then you’ll come home.”
“Will I have a home?” He asked. “What of your Mr. Casey? What of his men?”
I thought of this for a moment. It wasn’t really my responsibility, but now that we had involved ourselves this far... “I can speak to Mr. Casey, tell him that his position here is contingent upon maintaining your property. That if he fails to do so, a full disclosure of his activities will be made to Richmond. That should keep him in line. I have to admit though, it pains me to leave him unpunished for his conduct, but if some good will come of it, then I will accept those pains.”
“I thank you for that. You are a man of conscience, though how you’ve ended up working for the Confederacy escapes me.” He paused. “Those papers, you’ve just commissioned yourself in the Washington Territory Volunteer Militia. You’re a major in the Confederate army, and you were a captain in the Federal army. I’ve never encountered such a soldier before. Maybe it’s none of my concern, but what are you hoping to accomplish?”
I hesitated before answering. I didn’t want to go into it, but if he understood our motives then he might be more willing to keep our secrets. “I’m trying to avoid a war. South Carolina fired on Ft. Sumter- that was a mistake. Now, both sides are mustering troops and preparing to fight. Virginia has sided with the rest of the Southern states, which means we’re the gateway to any invasion. We need to prevent any further mistakes from being made, on either side- mistakes happen when loud men give little thought to consequences and act on imprecise information. I intend to get information which will allow the cooler heads to steer our course. If we are careful, and don’t make mistakes, then perhaps we can negotiate a peace treaty with the North and go our separate way. We have to try, before we soak the land in blood.”
He sighed and leaned back in the chair, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I suppose you’re right. Certainly, we must try all avenues before we throw lives away. But I was with Scott, in Mexico. I left the farm, left my wife and our children and went in pursuit of national honor. I’ve seen war and I’ve seen what happens when the loud men have a say- men of reason are not listened to. I hope you succeed Major, but I have grave doubts about your chances. Honor demands blood, and honor must be satisfied.”
We chatted amicably for a while longer after that, but truth be told I was a bit depressed. Davis’ words had the ring of truth about them, and I feared that men like Casey rather than men like Lee would carry the day. My gloominess must’ve shown, as Sarah commented on it when she brought in some tea and bread and cheese for us all.
“I see you’ve been talking to father,” she observed. “He always manages to take the light out of a room.”
“I just see no reason in pretending everything will always turn out right,” he grunted between bites.
“Doesn’t it?” She prodded. “We’re getting out of here, with an escort, and we’ll have someone to look after our home while we’re away. That’s better than we started with this morning, isn’t it?”
“Hmph.” He wasn’t impressed.
“And,” she continued, “I’m finally getting married...”
He glared at her from beneath bushy eyebrows. I put down my tea, it was much too hot to drink anyway, and looked at her. “That’s a good point,” I said thoughtfully. “If it’s not too personal, how come you’re not married? Your brother, either.”
“It is personal, but I’ll answer anyway,” she replied. “My brother is still single because he’s trying to establish himself as a mechanic before he establishes himself as a husband. Around here, you’re either a farmer or a shopkeeper if you want to support a family. You can get jobs in the bank, in the hotels, the railroad, but they are all low-paying jobs which make it hard to attract a bride. Either you own your own business or apprentice yourself- well, Levi started in the mill and learned how to fix the machinery. He’s quite good with his hands, and he started helping fix other machines around town. He was hired by the railroad to maintain the engines, and hoped to save enough to open his own shop.”
“All right, so that covers your brother- what about you? There must be plenty of eligible gentlemen around these parts?”
“Of course there are,” she said sweetly, “but there’s a very simple answer.” I waited. “I haven’t been asked,” she said with a slight trace of bitterness.
Without thinking, I blurted out “That’s incredible! A fine young maiden such as yourself? You’d be hounded by suitors down in the Shenandoah!” Immediately, I regretted my outburst- bad form, certainly.
She had the decency not to be offended by my directness. And she blushed. This was increasingly becoming an attractive feature, and when she wasn’t engaged in biting off our heads, she was really a lovely girl. I was beginning to understand Gordon’s interest. “Thank you for saying so, poor girl that I am.” Modest, too. “But I have one or two features that the young men don’t find so appealing.” One or two? Did she have extra toes or something? “I’m a bit...outspoken, you might say.” True, inasmuch as you might say the Shenandoah River is a bit wet. “That seems to turn men away.” That, or self-preservation. “I’m also not willing to settle down and be some meek farmer’s wife or shopkeeper’s wife who keeps a fine house and entertains guests and has no opinions of her own.” Ah, that would be a bar for most suitors, especially if they weren’t great thinkers themselves. I studied her more closely than I had before. She was tall, taller than Casey anyway, and trim with a nice shape from the way her gown flowed about her. Her long, blonde hair was braided down her back and her eyes were grey with flecks of green. Although fair complexioned, she had a slight rose tint normally on her cheeks which gave her enough color to avoid looking pallid. Looking at her made her self-conscious, and she slouched forward in her chair with her delicate hands folded in her lap. I understood finally- she had the fragile appearance of a porcelain doll, which brought men in for a closer look, but the fiery temper of a wildcat which took exception to being treated like a doll, a possession, and drove them right back out. If Gordon harbored any serious notions about this woman, he was in for a rough ride.
Not wishing to make her any more uncomfortable, I picked up my tea and sipped it. “Their loss,” I quipped. She blushed in response.
We finished the meal and Sarah cleared the dishes, leaving her father and I alone in the parlor. “Pardon my presumption, but your colleague- Colonel Gordon, I mean- he seems to have taken a liking to Sarah.” Davis’ tone was neutral, conversational even, but I was immediately wary. Noticing my disquiet, he hastened to reassure me. “I don’t mean to imply anything and I mean no disrespect- Sarah’s my daughter and as her father I want to do right by her. That means protecting her and sometimes it means kicking her out the door. Your friend Gordon has seen her at her worst, and he’s stood by her. That counts for something with me. I’m wondering what you think is really going on with him?”
I felt bad for the man, I really did. He wanted his daughter married off, and Gordon was the best- only?- prospect in a long time. But even if Gordon was interested in the girl, and that was a big ‘if’, what of it? We were on a mission, we were dropping them off in US territory and returning to CS territory, and that was the end of it. There could be no relationship. “I haven’t known him all that long,” I started, “but he has always been open and honest and sincere. You saw his reaction to your treatment by Casey and his men, you saw his determination to protect her, and you see how we’ve amended our plans to accommodate you two. So his feelings of protection for her are genuine. I agree there is a degree of mutual attraction there, but I don’t know where it will lead- the timing is incredibly poor, I’m sorry to say.” I genuinely was, because I think under other circumstances it would’ve been interesting to watch.
We were interrupted by the arrival of Gordon and Casey and a large wagon. Gordon burst into the house yelling “Where’s my wife?!” while Casey followed behind at a reasonable distance. Sarah came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel; as she saw Gordon, her face lit up with a smile. Not just any smile, a beaming, toothy smile of relief and happiness and welcome, and it transformed her once again. Gordon saw the change as well, and responded with an equally broad grin. She noticed us watching, and quickly recovered her usual scowl. “What took you so long? We’ve been waiting hours!” I concealed a grin; it was the waspish nagging of a displeased wife.
“Had to go find this,” he said, bringing his hand from behind his back and dropping to one knee. He held out a small box with a simple gold band inside- a wedding ring. What the hell???
She gasped, put her hands on each side of her face, and burst into tears. Gordon stood and gently took her left hand, placing the band on her finger as he did so. With a slight squeeze, it snuggled down onto her finger, secure in position. “Now, until we get to Frederick, you’re my wife. Understand? I’m going to protect you, and take care of you, and defend you if necessary, as long as we’re together. We’re newlyweds, and we’re moving to my family farm in Pennsylvania. As far as anyone’s concerned, that’s who we are.”
I was surprised at Gordon’s revised story- he had fleshed out a better identity than I had, because it saved them the trouble of trying to concoct a location for her brother in Frederick if anyone asked. This way, he didn’t need to know anything about Maryland- they were just passing through. “So, how did you meet your new bride?” I asked.
Gordon didn’t even look at me to respond, he was still watching Sarah. “I live near Carlisle, and she’s the sister of one of the soldiers at Carlisle Barracks. Her brother and I served together and he introduced us some time back. With the threat of war, I couldn’t bear the thought of being parted from her and we agreed to move up the date of our wedding. We’re having the big formal ceremony in Carlisle.”
Sarah had been staring at the ring the whole time, as if in a daze. She turned her hand back and forth, watching the light play along the band. Gordon looked at her intently, “Do you like it?” She looked up and nodded, eyes huge in a tear-splotched face. He bent his head down and kissed her, once, softly. “Man and wife,” he said.
Damn damn damn.
Nothing like complicating matters. Was Gordon merely playing a role? Doubtful- he wasn’t that good of an actor. No, he was a very overt individual, subtle stratagems were not his line of work; barreling at full-speed through obstacles, that was his style. So what to make of this? Was he serious about making Sarah, a woman he’d known for a matter of hours his wife? The conclusion was so absurd, I rejected it. Of course not- only in a manner of speaking. For all intents and purposes, he was going to act as her husband- and with her father around, this was a very limited duty- until we got to Frederick. Then she’d be on her own, duty would be discharged, his honor satisfied, and we could get on with the job.
Leaving Sarah (who was catatonic, staring at her ring) and her father (who sat, alternatively smiling and frowning), Gordon and I loaded the wagon with the occasional help from Casey. In a matter of hours, we had loaded the wagon completely with only a few items of furniture left in the house. Gordon looked pleased with himself. “Well, that’s a good day’s work! I’d say we’re about finished, we just need to pack the food for our trip and we’ll be off. Casey and I looked around and didn’t see any sign of our shadows, and when he went to his office, he found a note from one of the men he set as a decoy- the man said he was being followed and was taking them northwest, out of town.”
I was pleased to hear that, as it sounded as if we had managed to slip our pursuers; suddenly, alarm bells rang in my head as his comments registered. “Wait- you said Casey went to the office, you weren’t with him?”
Gordon frowned. “No, I was purchasing the wagon and then I got the ring. We were only apart for maybe an hour. Does it matter?”
I thought about it. “I don’t know. I’m tired, Josh, and now I’m starting to jump at shadows. I don’t trust Casey and I wish you hadn’t left him alone, but it didn’t even occur to me to consider that we shouldn’t leave him alone. I tell you, it’s easier to work when you assume everyone is lying and out to get you.” I offered a small smile.
Gordon still looked worried. “You think he might cause trouble?”
“I don’t know what he’ll do. I don’t think so, but he’s got no reason now to wish us well. He’s a small, petty man in a lot of ways, and small, petty men assume everyone else thinks as they do- he would probably break his promise if the roles were reversed and he had something on us, so he assumes we will notify Richmond about his activities. His only option is to lead us into a trap to get rid of us. Maybe he’s tipped off the patrols on the Federal side to watch for him to cross and then arrest everyone.”
“All right, let’s get rid of him.” Gordon, as usual, was direct. “You cross alone, I follow in the wagon. We’ll tie my horse to the wagon, which would make sense if I rode down from Carlisle.”
It was a good plan, I had to admit. “But what about Casey and what about the train?”
He shrugged. “Tie him up somewhere, leave a note if you want him released in a timely manner. As for the train, well that was an unexpected bonus, not a part of the original plan, if I recall. We ride to Baltimore as we planned. Or, we take our chances and buy tickets like normal passengers. We’ve got our papers, and we’re far enough west that we could’ve come overland through the passes. Not ideal this time of year, granted, but faster than waiting for a ship and going around the long way.”
“You seem to have it all worked out, so one last question.” He smiled. “What about Sarah and her father? Casey was the leverage to keep them quiet.” Even this wasn’t a big risk, I think her father was understanding of our mission and willing to let us try- I hoped that was the case.
Gordon stopped smiling. “She won’t say anything,” he said flatly.
There was something about his tone which raised the hairs on my neck. “Oh?” I said, softly.
His cheek twitched. “I don’t know why, but I know she won’t betray me. Us,” he corrected.
Aha, that was it. There was something there- but what? We needed this settled, now. I told him about my conversation with Davis, the story about his life, and his son, and the trouble with his daughter. I told him about her opinions on the types of suitors she had found, and I told him about Davis’ observations about them both. His jaw clenched when I brought up other suitors, and he colored up when I pointed out that Davis had observed his behavior and felt the need to discuss it. “So to conclude, what- exactly- are your intentions with his daughter?”
Gordon leaned down and stretched his back, then stood up and stretched in the opposite direction. After repeating this with his arms and legs, performing various gyrations of his body at each step, he finally sighed and said simply, “I don’t know.”
I repeated his words in the same monotone. “You don’t know.”
“Well if you say it like that, it sounds bad,” he laughed. “But yes, I don’t know. I’ve just met her- but Matt, there’s something about her that sticks in my brain and burns. The whole time I was getting the wagon, I kept thinking about her, how she looked, how her hand felt, her scent. I couldn’t wait to get back and see her again, and when I came in and saw her and she saw me- oh, the look on her face! Like an angel beaming down on me. I know, this couldn’t happen at a worse time, but it’s not as if I set out to do anything- how could I know this would happen? You can’t choose who you fall in love with.”
The words echoed in my ears. You can’t choose who you fall in love with. My God- did he really love her? Was that even possible, outside of the romances of dreamers and poets? The courtly love of Ivanhoe? Lancelot and Guinevere? Madness! But there was no denying the attraction between these two. Still, I needed to determine the depths of this attraction- maybe this was a common occurrence for him. “Surely, you must’ve had your share of sweethearts in South Carolina?”
“No. I was never of interest because I had older brothers. Sure, there were balls and cotillions and socials, but those were structured to teach us the rules of the courting game. I reckoned I’d meet someone once I was an officer, but there weren’t too many eligible females in Texas.”
“But what about the daughter of a planter, or a rich businessman, once you’ve won fortune and glory on the battlefield?” I reminded him of our conversation.
He laughed, bitterly. “That sounds funny, now that I’ve met a woman who sees me for who I am, and is still willing to be mine. Would I trade that for a woman who wants my name, and the fame it comes with?”
I tried one last time. “But does she want you? She’s a Unionist, you’re taking her to her brother- also a Unionist- so you can go spy on the Union in service to the Confederacy, which you serve as a Confederate soldier. How can this work?”
He shrugged. “All relationships have hurdles.”